Independent journalism on UK fracking, onshore oil and gas and the reactions to it

Work begins on Egdon’s Laughton well

Rig at Egdon’s Laughton wellsite. Photo by resident living near the Laughton well and used with permission

Egdon Resources confirmed this morning drilling has begun at Laughton – the company’s second well to be sunk in Lincolnshire this year.

In a statement Egdon said the Laughton-1 well was spudded (the beginning of drilling a new well) on Friday (12th February 2016).

In January, Egdon spudded a development well at Keddington, east of Laughton.

Estimated £1.3m barrels of oil

The Laughton well, in PEDL209, will be drilled to a depth of 1,500m and will target an estimated 1.3m barrels of oil, the company said.

The main target is said to be a 15m sandstone reservoir known as Silkstone Rock. Other potential reservoirs are the Kilburn Sandstone and Wingfield Flags.

Egdon said the Laughton well was exploring conventional reservoirs. The statement said:

“The operations at the Laughton wellsite will not, either now or in the future, involve the process of High Volume Hydraulic Fracturing for shale gas.”

Egdon’s managing director, Mark Abbott, said:

“Onshore oil and gas projects remain commercially attractive even during a period of reduced commodity prices. Egdon’s conventional exploration drilling programme remains a key part of our strategy, with successful exploration capable of delivering near-term additions to our production and revenue stream.”

Keddington suspended

Earlier this month, Egdon announced that its Keddington-5 well, in PEDL005, had been suspended after reaching a depth on 1st February of 2,433m.

The company said the well had found evidence of hydrocarbons. The flow of the well would be tested with a traditional beam pump, it said.

2015 Egdon developments

Egdon received 18 blocks and part blocks in the 14th licence round,confirmed in December. Map They cover 1,126 sq km in the East Midlands and Cleveland Basin.

In Spring 2015, opponents of drilling established a protest camp outside Kiln Lane, also known as Mauxhall Farm, another Lincolnshire wellsite where Egdon had an interest. In March, the company announced the well would be abandoned after finding no oil. The site, near Immingham, is in PEDL181, where Egdon has a 25% stake.

An extended well test at Wressle-1 near Scunthorpe, in PEDL180, produced what Egdon described as encouraging results in June 2015.

This report is part of DrillOrDrop’s Rig Watch project. Rig Watch receives funding from the Joseph Rowntree Reform Trust. More details here